Year 12 and 13 secondary school pupils experienced what it is like to study horticulture and agriculture at Massey University during the AgHort Experience Day on the Manawatū campus today.

The day is designed to showcase study and career options. Allowing students to look around Massey’s farms, plant growth areas and take a glimpse into current projects.

Massey University Bachelor of AgriScience graduate Leander Archer had the chance to speak and share her enthusiasm as part of the day, “I really enjoyed my degree and I think students should seriously consider studying this degree,” she said. “You leave with lifelong friendships, a degree, and a qualification that is in hot demand in the job market.

"The knowledge I gained through my degree has already been essential. Working life is a lot different though, as it is like crossing a large river and when you get to the other side you realise it was just a tiny tributary to the main one, but it’s just another adventure.”

Miss Archer currently works for AgFirst Consultants in Hawke's Bay as a junior consultant. Her role involves helping senior consultants plan and carry out a variety of projects, as well as working on some smaller projects of her own.

Industry organisations are calling for more students to start university study.

Industry calling for skilled workers

Head of Massey’s Institute of Agriculture and Environment Professor Peter Kemp says, “Massey’s horticulture and agriculture degrees mean graduates are equipped with the right skills to join the workforce.

"Horticulture and agriculture are some of our biggest industries and we need more people going to university to get degrees in order to support them. These jobs are for managers, scientists, engineers, marketers, producers and entrepreneurs.

"These jobs have excellent career prospects and involve working in some of the most exciting and beautiful places in the country,” Professor Kemp says.

Horticulture New Zealand chief executive Mike Chapman says, “Bringing young people into horticulture is a top priority, with less youth in the field than we’d like. If we want to maintain our growth and hit our goal of a $10 billion industry by 2020, we’ll need another 15,000 people over the next five years.

"With a degree in horticulture, you could be an orchard manager, farm supervisor, business manager, scientist ? the list goes on. Studying horticulture really is a gateway to opportunity.”

Massey is ranked the number one university in New Zealand for agriculture with study options in agricultural, animal and plant sciences, horticulture and agribusiness.